Priyanka Gandhi makes it official. Predictable. But what took her so long?

Baffling are the ways of bumbling politicians! Trumpets! Here is Priyanka Gandhi – what’s not to love about her? But hello! Why was the lovely lady kept in purdah for all these many years? Why??? I don’t get it. Do you?

Priyanka Gandhi should have been Plan A from the word go. Today, she comes in as Plan B. Silly. And a bit too late in the day, given the time bomb ticking away ahead of the general elections. What sort of a miracle can she pull off in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, of which she has been nominated as the Congress General Secretary?

If Sonia and other brilliant strategists within the party are looking at Priyanka Gandhi as their ultimate secret weapon or stealth bomb to finish off the formidable Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combo, they really shouldn’t have sat on their master plan this long. Priyanka takes the plunge…. but will she be bhaari enough to torpedo the BJP???

We now get three Gandhis for the price of one. If Rahul Gandhi fails to deliver, he has his sister as back-up, while mamma Sonia Gandhi grits her teeth, scowls, schemes and starts looking for decent living quarters for her darling daughter. Now that Priyanka has a proper designation. Is this the best move the Congress could come up with at the n-th hour? Need of the hour or a surgical strike? More importantly, can Priyanka really deliver?

Priyanka Gandhi has been consistently projected as the reluctant politician. The one who was happy to be periodically aired, bask in her startling resemblance to her legendary grandmother, and frequently confuse the villagers in Amethi and Rae Bareli (some of whom may not even know that Indira Gandhi is dead).

Her family role was restricted to playing the affectionate chhoti behen to her dimpled bhaiya. Even though it was obvious from the word go that Priyanka was the natural-born neta in the set-up. The crowds adored her and let’s face it, she is the ultimate ‘people person’ – warm, touchy-feely, the genuine Gandhi article.

But then, the purdah obstinately stayed. It was said Sonia Gandhi didn’t want her daughter to be in public life for a variety of reasons. Okay. We get it. Protective mom. So, what changed? Could it be the Robert Vadra factor? Priyanka’s (body) builder husband Robert Vadra is in a bit of a spot, you know – criminal charges and such. But who isn’t in a spot these days? Apart from Amit Shah, that is? It was suggested that Vadra didn’t want the missus to get into the cess pool of politics and mess up their carefully nurtured family life. Now even he has changed his tune and has wished ‘P’ very warmly on an Instagram post ( “….always by your side in every phase of your life. Give it your best.”). Please note: no heart emojis. Only a thumbs up with a smiley. Significant? Ummm… we pounce on every little scrap we get, okay??

Frankly, I believe Priyanka will make a good politician. She has been marinated in politics, is used to being in the public eye, speaks fluent Hindi…. and wears great sarees (she looks terrific in couture, as well ). Can’t wait for her to start campaigning – she can always maro Rahul bhaiya’s borrowed Burberry jacket to ward off the winter chill. She won’t need a bodyguard – who better than muscleman Robert Vadra to protect her? Kharcha bachao – that can be her slogan. Most citizens dabaaoed by demonetisation will identify with that tagline. The Modi government couldn’t bachao the beti. But Priyanka can definitely bachao spending.

And once the Congress is done with this election, we can all save time and ask Sonia Gandhi to instantly induct Priyanka’s children into the Youth Congress. Yaaay! Plan C! We can’t get enough of dynasty in India, remember?

Shobhaa De is a columnist, social commentator, journalist and opinion-shaper. She has authored 20 books.

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FATHER FEROZE KHAN MUST REALLY BE CRYING FOR THE INSULT HE HAS GO THRU EVERY MOMENT!
INDIRA KHAN,
RAJEEV KHAN,
SANJAY KHAN AND NOW
SONIA MIANO, KHAN
RAHUL KHAN.
PRIYANKA KHAN VADRA
FATHERS AHAMAD, SHAKEEL WANT TO FOOL PEOPLE OF INDIA TO CONTIUE THEIR AGENDA OF DIVIDE , DISINTEGRATE INDIA BY STEALING SOME ONE ELS”S LAST NAME GANDHI SO THAT THEY CAN HIDE THEIR IDENTITY, FIANGI JIHADI

“The one who was happy to be periodically aired, bask in her startling resemblance to her legendary grandmother, and frequently confuse the villagers in Amethi and Rae Bareli (some of whom may not even know that Indira Gandhi is dead).”

Some may not agree with these lines from the article:
“Even though it was obvious from the word go that Priyanka was the natural-born neta in the set-up”,
for the simple reason that she was never given a chance to be a Neta, for others to form such an impression. But the way things have unfolded in last five years, Rahul Gandhi has been a revelation. People had the impression of him as an easy-going, often-absent kind of a leader. But he has shown that he is the true scion of Indira Gandhi. If Priyanka also proves to be made of the same substance, then it’s surely good news for the Congress.

Unfortunately, her jumping into UP politics may also be good news for the BJP. The present situation of that party is such that only its “hopelessly faithfuls” will vote for it. That voter cannot be weaned away by Priyanka. So any additional votes that the Congress may get due to Priyanka’s entry will necessarily come from the SP+BSP vote bank, a fact that may benefit BJP.

It will be very important that Akhilesh and Mayawati realize this reality, and make serious efforts to take Congress into their fold. That will ring a death knell for the BJP in UP and the party may finish up in single digits.

A desperate measure for a situation that should never have been desperate in the first place, but was allowed to degenerate, with family ties taking precedence over competence, ability, political acumen and craft and, COMMON SENSE. THIS can only go so far and no further. Which, for all of us Indians, is as it should be.

Agree, Sir. We forget the time span and the violent deaths of indira Gandhi and rajiv Gandhi.
If we go down memory lane, Sonia was not ready. I don’t think any mother would want her children to meet the same fate.
Priyanka, as the article suggests, does not, come across as someone who can be pressured, either to be a stay at home mom or join politics.

All mothers, not just Indian ones, love their sons to distraction. That happens with tigresses in the wild as well. Priyanka is not Plan B. Rahul took his time getting into his groove, but now the holding pins are falling away. It would be too early to say she is a force multiplier. But she adds to her brother’s time and strength, on a much larger canvas than eastern UP. They will make a perfect team, no crossed wires. A natural division of labour between governance and party affairs.